Essentials of Epidemiology

Undergraduate | 2026

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Area/Catalogue
PUBH 2002
Course ID icon
Course ID
201331
Level of study
Level of study
Undergraduate
Unit value icon
Unit value
6
Course level icon
Course level
2
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Inbound study abroad and exchange
Inbound study abroad and exchange
The fee you pay will depend on the number and type of courses you study.
Yes
University-wide elective icon
University-wide elective course
Yes
Single course enrollment
Single course enrolment
Yes
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Note:
Course data is interim and subject to change

Course overview

Epidemiology is used to describe health and disease, to understand determinants and to support evidence-based policy and practice. In this course you will consider the concepts, measures and data used in epidemiology to describe the magnitude of health issues. You will also focus on different research designs, including randomised controlled trials and the systematic review process to identify causes of disease and determine if treatments are effective. By examining real-world situations, you will explore challenges to feasibility and interpretation, and how the weight of evidence from epidemiology and other disciplines is drawn together. The role of epidemiology in improving population health will be a theme throughout.

  • Descriptive Epidemiology
  • Observational Studies
  • Experimental Studies

Course learning outcomes

  • Define epidemiology and know the different roles it has in preventing disease, promoting health and supporting evidence-based health care.
  • Identify data sources about the health and disease of populations, calculate measures of disease frequency, and recognise depictions in terms of person, place and time.
  • Know the main study designs used in analytic epidemiology, interpret results and outline bias and confounding.
  • Recognise the need to consider the weight of evidence when judging real-world causes of health and disease and know criteria for causation
  • Know the principles of randomised controlled trials, the purpose of systematic reviews, and interpret results of each of these types of research.

Prerequisite(s)

N/A

Corequisite(s)

N/A

Antirequisite(s)

N/A